After months of sourcing and reviewing hundreds of toys, John Lewis & Partners enlisted a panel of five toy testers aged under 12 to help select and approve the department store group’s final top 10 toys for Christmas.
The testers spent hours playing, testing and competing in the John Lewis Toy Testing Lab and finally selecting their favourites, which the retailer predicts will be the must-have toys for Christmas 2021.
The lineup features a mix of classic favourites, such as the retro Scalextric set starring Batman vs Superman (which is exclusive to John Lewis), as well as new toys such as the John Lewis FSC Wooden Waitrose Supermarket.
Five toys that got 10 out of 10 from the tiny testers were Scalextric, the LEGO Elf Clubhouse, John Lewis FSC Wooden My First Train Set, Space Puzzle from Ravensburger and John Lewis FSC Wooden Waitrose Supermarket.
John Lewis & Partners toy buyer Rachael Larkman said: “This year we’ve seen a huge surge in the popularity of traditional toys and games that can be enjoyed by the whole family. For example, sales of construction toys and puzzles such as LEGO have risen 50% in the last 12 months, and we predict this trend will continue for Christmas.
“The selection of top toys chosen by our panel of testers includes toys suitable for all ages. From ‘my first’ toys to the exclusive Scalextric, which we are predicting to be the toy of the season, there’s a great variety that will guarantee excitement on Christmas Day.â€
The toys will be available to buy instore and online at John Lewis from the end of September
The Top 10 toys are:
- Scalextric Batman vs Superman, Exclusive to John Lewis, £39.99
- LEGO Elf Clubhouse, £84.99
- John Lewis FSC Wooden My First Train Set, £20
- Ravensburger Space Puzzle, £39.99
- John Lewis FSC Wooden Waitrose Supermarket, £65
- Gravi Pro Starter Extreme, Exclusive to John Lewis, £89.99
- Kaloo My first Doll, £19.99
- Harry Potter Games Compendium £59.99
- Tonies Soft Cuddly Friends – Hoppie Rabbit Audio Play, £29.99
- Secret Garden book, £12
The tiny toy testers can be seen at work in the John Lewis Toy Testing Lab video here.
